Lucey Dental: the dentist in Greystones completing smiles
People may have missing teeth for a variety of reasons, the most obvious one being poor oral hygiene. However, having missing teeth can also be the result of smoking, illnesses, medications or accidents. Whatever the cause of missing teeth, there are sound health benefits to be had from filling in the gaps and completing your smile. Aside from the aesthetic improvement which can improve your self-esteem, completing your smile also protects any remaining natural teeth, as well as the gums, from over-exposure to bacteria. By completing your smile, you are protecting the rest of your mouth from any further complications down the road. The question is: can patients replace missing teeth with something that functions like natural teeth? The answer that our dentist in Greystones at Lucey Dental will say is: yes.
Dental implants
Dental implants are metal screws that are attached to the jawbone, where you have missing teeth. The purpose of this is to provide a stable post for which to attach replacement teeth such as crowns, bridges or dentures, depending on how many teeth you require replacing. Crowns are typically used for single tooth replacements, whereas bridges are utilised for several teeth, and dentures for a whole mouth. The screws become stabilised when the body’s tissues heal around them and the result is like bionic tooth roots! Once the replacement teeth are connected to them, they shouldn’t be going anywhere, no matter what food you consume, drinks you drink, or how much you chat.
Why dental implants?
Dental implants offer an effective solution to replacing missing teeth. While you can have bridges, dentures or crowns without having dental implants, implants offer the additional stability and security that you may feel is necessary to feel like you have functional replacement teeth that will act just like your natural teeth. They are simple to care for like your natural teeth too. All you will need to do is brush and floss frequently and pop in to see our friendly dentist in Greystones here at Lucey Dental for your routine dental check ups; if you do that, your implants could even last you a lifetime.
A further reason to choose dental implants is the fact that when you have them fitted, nobody else will realise that you don’t have a full set of natural teeth. This could improve your self-esteem, but also, if you have developed speech difficulties or shrinkage of the face due to having missing teeth, then this could also be solved by filling in the gaps in your smile. By having implants, you give the face the structure it needs and in turn, it could then appear more youthful – that’s definitely worth considering! Some patients also develop jaw pain through trying to adapt the way they chew because of their missing teeth, so you should also find that this eases too, once you have replaced them.
Come and see us
To discover more about any of our treatments, including dental implants, all you need to do is make an appointment for an initial consultation with us. During this appointment, we will discuss your requirements and examine your mouth fully, so that we can outline the treatment options and you can make an informed decision by taking this time to ask as many questions as you need to. We have early and late appointments during the week, as well as Saturday appointments, so we are here to fit in with your lifestyle and to get you the complete smile you deserve.